Mail-catching device.



PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

J. RYAN. MAIL GATGHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1905.

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JOHN RYAN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.-

NlAIL-CATOHING DEVICE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJuneQG, 1906.

Application filed November 7, 1905. Serial No. 286,247.

To (all whmn it Duty concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN RYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at 347 East Thirtieth street, NewYork city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Catching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail-b ag-catching devices.

The objects of the invention are to improve and simplify the construction of such devices; furthermore, to increase their efficiency in operation and to decrease the expense attending their manufacture and use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combi nation andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed as a practical embodiment thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing one of the improved devices upon a mail-car and another of the improved devices upon a stationary support adjacent to the railway-track. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partlyin horizontal section, of the construction illustrated Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one means of supporting a mail-bag. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a mail-bag-supporting arm.

Like reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The numeral 1 indicates a mail-car, which may be of any suitable form and construc tion.

J ournaled in one of the drawways of the car 1 is a vertically-extending bar 2, which is square or angular in cross-section, as indicated in Fig. 2, except at the upper and lower ends thereof, where it is rounded and decreased in size so as to fit into suitable sockets in the drawframe, and thus be cap able of rotary movement.

Journaled in suitable brackets 3, secured to the sides 4 of the draw-frame, as shown in Fig. 2, is a horizontally-arranged bar 5, which is provided with a pair of laterally-projecting parallel arms 6. When the bar 5 is rotated so that the parallel arms 6 fit against the opposite sides of the bar 2, said bar is effectually held against accidental rotation. The parallel arms 6 when fitting against the oparm 8, having on the outer end thereof a stationary jaw 9. Arranged to cooperate with the stationary jaw 9 is a jaw 10, which is pivotally mounted upon the arm 8, as indicated at 11. The jaw 9 is provided with a rod 12, which extends through a suitable opening in the jaw 10 and is provided with a nut 13. Surrounding the rod 12 is a coil-spring 14, which bears at one end against the nut 13 and at the other end against the jaw 10. The coil-spring 14 serves to force the jaw 10 normally toward the jaw 9. Each of the jaws 9 and 10 is recessed or cut away on its inner side, as indicated-at 15, and is beveled at its outer end, as indicated at 1'6. Mounted upon the beveled end of each jaw 9 and l'Ois a flat spring, such as 17, which is secured at its outer end 18 to the jaw in any su'itablemanner and is provided at its inner end with suitable lugs, such as 19, which fit a ainst the opposite sides of the jaw. It will loe apparent that when the jaws 9 and 10 come into contact with the mail-bag the springs 16 are forced flat against the beveled ends of the jaws and said jaws are forced apart so as to permit the bag to enter the space formed by the recesses 15. As soon as the mail-bag has entered between the jaws the inner ends of the springs 16 move outward, so as to prevent accidental disengagement of the mail-bag from the jaws.

The mail-catching device, which is mounted upon the platform of a railroad-station, is exactly the same as that described upon the car 1, except that the bar 2, as shown in Fig. 1, is journaled between arms 20, connected with an upright 21, which is arranged adjacent to the railroad-track in any suitable manner.

The bar 2 upon the mail-car and the bar 2 upon the upright 21 are each provided with a laterally-extending arm 22, having a pair of rearwardly-extending pins 23, as shown in Fig. 4. The pins 23 are adapted to engage a rectangular bracket 24, which is secured in any suitable manner to a plate 25, riveted to the mail-bag 26. Journaled in the plate 25 is a pair of rollers 27. It will be understood that as the train approaches a station where it is necessary to exchange mail-bags the mail-bag on the station is suspended upon the pins 23 of the mail-car and the mail-bag for the car is suspended upon the pins 23 of the platform. As the train passes the platform or station the two bags are effectually exchanged. Rollers 27 on the mail-bag are employed to contact with the lower portion of thepins 23 and prevent the bracket 24 from pounding upon said pins in any manner when the bag is engaged by the jaws 9 and. 10, it being understood that the velocity of the train might throw the mail-bag into such position that the bracket 24 would pound upon the pins 23.

When it is not desired to use the improved mail-catching device, the bar 5 may be ro tated to cause the parallel arms 6 to become disengaged from the vertical bar 2, so as to permit said vertical bar to be swung into inoperative position.

The improved device of this invention is strong, simple, durable, and inexpensive in construction, as well as thoroughly efficient in operation.

Changes in the precise embodiment of invention illustrated and described may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the in vention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, i.s

1. A mail-b ag-catching device comprising a support, a pair of jaws, means for closing said jaws and a spring mounted. on the outer end of each of said aws.

2. A mail-bag'catching device comprising a support, a stationary jaw, a movable jaw, means for forcing said movable jaw toward said stationary jaw, and a spring mounted on the outer end of each of said jaws.

3. A mail-bagcatching device comprising a rotary support, a lateral arm on said. support, a stationary jaw on said arm, a pivotallymounted jaw on said arm, means for forcing said jaws together and a spring on the v outer end of each of said jaws.

4. A mail-bag-catching device comprising a vertical rotary support, angular in crosssection, a lateral arm on said. support, a stationary jaw on said. lateral arm, a pivoted jaw on said lateral arm, each of said jaws having its inner face recessed and its outer end beveled, means for forcing said pivotal jaw toward said stationary jaw, a spring mounted on the beveled face of each jaw, a rotary bar adjacent to said vertical support, a pair of parallel arms on said rotary bar adapted to engage the opposite sides of said support to prevent rotation thereof, a second lateral arm on said support and means on said second. lateral arm to hold a 1nailbag.

In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN RYAN.

Witnesses:

l/V. H. CnroHroN-CLARKE, M. MronEL. 

